Page 38 of Forbidden

“Jaan,” Aarav turns to me with the lawyer beside him smiling at me. “He is our family lawyer. My father knew him very well. They were friends.” He introduces.

“Tyagi” Daadi interrupts him. “Why are you here?”

“Durgaji, I am here to speak to Aarav. He had some important news to share with you all. Especially with Jhanvi.”

I am still clueless about the lawyer’s reply who turns and smiles at me again.

“Congratulations, Jhanvi, on your wedding. Aarav had invited me to the party the other day, but I was out of town. So, I couldn’t attend it.”

I just smile back, and it’s not a happy smile for sure.

“Tyagi, what the hell.” Mohit barks again. “Whose side, are you? Why are you even meeting Aarav here?”

“That’s because I told him to do so,” Aarav responds. “Have you got the papers?”

Tyagi nods and passes the file to him. Aarav checks it, and then reaches me.

“Your wedding gift, Jaan.”

I don’t want to take it, but something tells me it has to be important.

“What are these papers for?” I ask, without touching that file.

“I am gifting you this mansion. The Raichand Mansion.. All of it..”

My jaw drops as he finishes that statement. How can he gift me Raichand Mansion when he himself doesn’t even own it? Mohit is about to pounce on Aarav, but the latter is so smart and quick that he stops him and pushes Mohit away before anything of that sort can happen. He then gestures to Tyagi who speaks on his behalf.

“Durgaji, as we all know you had kept this mansion at a mortgage with Advani and as per that contract, Advani could sell this mansion to a third party if you couldn’t settle off his debt.”

“He gave us one week more,” Daadi argues.

“There wasn’t any written confirmation of that. So, he sold this mansion to incur his debts, and Aarav bought it. He has now transferred the property to his and Jhanvi’s name. So now the couple has 50% right each in this mansion. They together own it now.”

I freeze at the spot, but when I see Daadi almost on the verge of collapse, both me and Mohit rush to support her. Aarav simply watches. Once we make her sit on the nearby couch, Mohit is back in action.

“What nonsense is this? The Mansion belongs to us. No one can snatch it from us. At least not this forbidden son of a Wh***”

Mohit shouldn’t have used this foul term for Aarav’s mother because the moment he does, Aarav punches him hard on his nose and Mohit collapses to the ground.

“One more word against my mother and I will dig your grave here and people won’t even come to know.”

Mohit gets back on his feet and tries to hit him. I stop him from doing so.

“Mohit, stop it,” I try to drag him away from Aarav but he’s so raged at the moment that he doesn’t even realize he is using all that strength on me. The force with which Mohit shrugs off my arm is so strong that I am about to hit the floor but Aarav grabs my hand and pulls me to him. He saves me from falling. Yet again!! Aarav cages me protectively in his arms and I don’t think I am even in the spur to react or move away. My head spins. All this is too much for a person like me who’s believed in peace.

Aarav assesses my face and the moment he cups my cheek “Are you okay?”

No. I am not okay. I am not okay with anything that is happening right now. His wedding gift plan has bruised me even deeper than before. I can’t believe Daadi and Mohit are now homeless. Where will they go? Aarav shouldn’t have been so cruel. I shrug off his arms and step away. Without responding to him, I turn to Mohit whom I can’t read at all. I have never seen him like this before. Daadi warns him not to get physical anymore, but I don’t think he is going to obey that.

“Jhanvi, I am talking to you.” Aarav mutters from behind.

I still don’t turn or respond. My mind is busy at Daadi who now stands between Mohit and Aarav.

“I am not leaving this mansion,” she declares. “This place belongs to my family and I will not leave it at any cost and especially for a Forbidden Heir to take over.”

Aarav had probably expected that and I think he’s even prepared for this.

“Fair enough. If you are that strong enough to stay here and watch me, take over the mansion, have full control over the management of this place, so be it. I am not as heartless as you were for my mother. You didn’t let her enter this place; I won’t let you exit if you don’t want to. After all, this mansion is big enough to accommodate extras like you two, isn’t it?”

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